Automotive cables, such as a battery cable, can include an aluminum conductor which can be lighter and less expensive than conventional copper conductors. A contact element, such as a ring terminal, is crimped or otherwise secured to a bare end of the aluminum conductor to form a terminated end. The contact element is typically made from copper based alloys such as brass, for example, or another material that is different than aluminum.
The bare end of aluminum conductor, however, can be susceptible to oxidation (e.g., sapphire oxidation) which can inhibit conductivity between the bare end and the contact element and thus can prevent proper termination with a contact element. The aluminum conductor can also be susceptible to galvanic corrosion when it is terminated to a material that is more basic than aluminum, such as brass, and when moisture is present at the interface between the conductor and the contact element. The galvanic corrosion can cause aluminum dissolution which can adversely affect the conductivity between the aluminum conductor and the contact element. Once terminated, the aluminum conductor can be more susceptible to mechanical creep at its terminated end at low temperatures (e.g., 80 degrees C.) than conventional copper conductors which can result in undesirable impedances. The aluminum conductor is also weaker than a copper conductor which can result in the aluminum conductor being easier to pull out of the contact element after termination.